Knitting machine



Sept. 29, 1931. w. L. SMITH, JR

KNITTING MACHINE l2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12 W. L. SMITH, JR

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 1927 12 Sheets-s 4 tolucu Sept, 29, 1931., w SMlTHq JR 1,825,370

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 12. 1927 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 W. L. 5/771'f/1J/1 1927 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 W L. SMITH. JR

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 12,

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Sept. 29, 1931.

w. SMITH, JR 93 9 KNITTING MACHINE Sept. 29, 1931.

Filed May 12', 192" 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 133 W? L Sm/Efh Jr,

w? L. SMITH, JR

KNITTING MACHINE Sept. 29, 1931.

Filed May 12, 1927 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 W 1.. SmifhJr,

arm mag Sept, 29 1931.. w. SMITH, JR 1,825,379

KNITTING MACHINE F iled May 12. 192? 12 Sheets-Sheet 1o gwventoz Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR., F NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOB '1'0 MAY 'HOSIERY MILLS, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE KNITTING MACHINE Application filed May 12, 1927. Serial No. 190,919.

My said invention relates to a knitting machine for knitting stockings having a plain foot and a leg wholly or partially of ribbed fabric. l

It is an'object of my invention to provide a circular machine of the character described in which the needle cylinder and dial shall rotate while the needle cams stand still.

Such machines for the making of plain hosiery are well-known to those skilled in the art and I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention including features of a machine of the well-known Banner type, based on Patent 933,443.

Another object of my invention is to pro- I ties may be removed or rendered inoperative so that the machine operates as a plain knitting machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im roved take-up for the fabric with means or varying the action according to the nature of the work being done at.

particular periods in the operation Another object is to provide improved gearing connections for driving the dial in unison with the cylinder, including means whereby movement of the dial stops during plain knitting.

Referring to the drawings, which are made I Fi ure 11 a Fig v Figures 7 and 7a, sections on line 7-7 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 7b, a detail section of parts shown in Fig. 7,

Figure 8, a section on line 88 of Fig. 4,

Figure Set, a detail of a belt guidd hook,.

Figures 8?) and 80, details of parts shown in Fig. 8,

Figure 9, a section on line 99 of Fig. 7a, Figure 10, a section on line 10-10 of Fig.

section on line 11-11 Figure 12, a on line 12-12 said figure,

Figure 13, a

section section on line 13-13 Fig igure 14, an inverted plan of the dial,

Figure 14a, a detail of the dial plate, Figure 15, a fragmentary side elevation of operating connections for the dial cam, viewed from the right asin Fig. 6,

Figure 15a, a detail of parts shown in Fig. 15,

Figure 16, a detail of a pattern drum viewed from the left,

Figure 17, a section on line 1717 of Fig. 16, 1

Figure 18, a section on line 18-18 of Fig. 6,

Figure 19, a.development of the pattern drum,

. Figure 20, a perspective of yarn cutting and clamping means,

Figure 21, a detail of an auxiliary pattern. drum pawling device, and I Figure 22, a fragmentary elevation of the dial and parts coa/ctin therewith.

In the drawings, re erence character 20 indicates the main shaft of the machine on which are mounted pulleys 21, 22, 23 as in the Banner machine. The shaft is geared to the cylinder for driving it either round and round or reciprocatingly by gearing of a conventional type and the needle cylinder 23, the bottom center cam 24 (Fig. 5), the top center cam 25, the stitch cams 26, pickers 27 the controlling means for these devices, etc. may all be as in the patent above referred to, or may assume other conventional or desirable forms. The main cam shaft 28 and the'cam drums and other parts carried thereby may all be as above stated, but in this embodiment of the machine I have added a disc 29 at the left end of said cam shaft and a disc 30 at the right end, which will be further described hereinafter. Conventional COIitIOlling means extend from the drum to the yarn fingers 31 (Fig. 4) and the direction of movement of the'cylinder, the stitch length, etc., are controlled from the main cam shaft, as usual.

As best shown in Figs. 7 and 8, I hate mounted above the cylinder and coaxially therewith a dial 32, secured to a dial post 33 and driven by an oblique gear 34 meshing with a gear 35 on a horizontal shaft 36. The horizontal shaft 36 is driven by oblique gearing from a shaft 37 having a reduced end entering an axial opening in a shaft 38 to which the shaft 37 is connected by a spline 39 (Fig. 11). At its lower end the shaft 38 is reduced and passes through a collar 40 and into a hollow shaft 41 to which it is secured by a taper pin 42 (Fig. 7).

The shafts 33 and 37 are journalled in sleeves 37 and 51 secured in parallel bores of a bracket 43. A collar 44 threaded on the shaft 37 and held in place by set screws serves to hold the shaft securely in correct vertical placement relatively to bracket 43 by engagement with a roller thrust bearing 44 (Fig. 7) resting against the under side of the bearing sleeve 37', while the gear at the upper end of the shaft bears against the upper end of the sleeve. A sleeve 45 1s fixed to the bed-plate 47 and the bracket 43 is clamped to sleeve 45 by clamp screws 46 which draw the split portions of the sleeve 43 of the bracket together against the sleeve 45. A spline 45' is fixed in a slot in the wall of the bore in the bracket 43 and is adapted to be seated in either one of two slots spaced 90 apart in the sleeve 45 (Fig. 11). Said sleeve 45 at its lower end rests on the bed-plate 47 and a nut 48 threaded thereon serves to fix the vertical position of the bracket 43 relatively to the bed-plate 47. Set screws 49 pass through the sleeve 45 and serve to lock the collar 40 in place in the sleeve. thus holding the shafts 38 and 41 against up or down movement. This collar ispositioned between a shoulder on the shaft 38 and the adiacent end of the shaft 41, whereby, on driving home the tapered pin 42, all the parts are locked securely together in correct relation to one another.

A vertical adjustment of the bracket by means of the nut 48 serves to regulate the stitch length. By loosening the nuts on bolts 46, the clamping engagement of the bracket with the fixed sleeves is released and thereupon the dial may be lifted out of operative relation with the cylinder and may be swung into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 if desired, in which position the dial may still be revolved either by power or by hand, as for inspection of needles or repairs. Obviously, also, the bracket may be lifted entirely off the machine, carrying the dial and other attached parts.

The dial provides slots for a series of dial needles 50 which are actuated by cams at the under side of the dial cam plate 51 secured to the enlarged lower end 52 of the sleeve in which the post 33 is journalled, i. e. the dial cam cap. A thrust collar 33 on the post bears against the under side of the plate 51 and a dial plate 52' beneath the collar is or may be similar to the plate shown and described in my application Serial No. 683,804, filed December 31, 1923, it being noted that the butts, when fully retracted, bear against the periphery of said plate.

The shaft 41 has an enlargement 53 at its lower end and is provided with gear teeth on its end face forming a crown gear meshing with gear teeth of a crown gear formed by a similarly enlarged end section 54 of a shaft 55. For holding these shafts in operative relation to one another, I have provided a socket sleeve 56 in the hollow lower end of the shaft 41, said sleeve being held in place by set screws 57. In the hollow shaft I have provided a stub 58 with a ball at its upper end'engaging the interior of the sleeve 56, thus providing a ball and socket joint, said stub being also held in place by set screws indicated at 59. A collar 60 adjustably secured to a shaft 61 serves to prevent disengagement of the teeth of the crown gear 54 from those of gear 53 by independent movement of shaft 55. A radial fin 62 formed on or secured to the shaft 61 provides an abutment against which set screws 63, 64 (Fig. 13) act for adjusting the shaft 55 angularly about the common axis of said shaft and the shaft 61 to adjust the dial needles angularly (or circumferentially) relatively to the cylinder needles, so as to locate each dial needle accurately between the adjacent pair of cylinder needles. The set screws 63 and 64 are conveniently located in bores of a nut 65 on the lower end of the shaft 55. At its lower end the shaft 61 is reduced to receive a collar 66 hearing at one end against a shoulder on the shaft and at the other end against a portion of a bevel-gear 67 pinned to the shaft 61. The collar is held in place by a bracket 68 split at one side and clamped on the collar 66 (Fig. 3). In this way the collar 66 provides a bearing for the shaft and also serves to hold it up to maintain the teeth of the crown gears in engagement while the ball and socket connection holds them against separation by lateral displacement.

aeaaavo The bevel-gear o7 meshes with a bevel-- gear 72 drives the rack '42 for oscillating end the gear 69.

machine.

For moving the cams from the 1dle posh the needlecylinder. A clutch sleeve 73 splincd to the shaft has means for engagement with a clutch member 74 loose on the shaft, and carrying at its right hand A lever 75 controls the clutch sleeve and is normally impelled to ward clutching position by a spring 76; The lever 3'5 is controlled, through an intermediate lever 78 (Figs. 1 and 18), by a cam and a rib pattern drum 7? which is the main nontrolling-mechanism for the ribbing devices of the machine.

Dial cams and controliing mechcmz'a-m therefor The plate 51 has secured thereto a series of fixed cams, including guard cams 79 and 80 and needle retracting cams 81 and 82, the construction being as in my application No. 683,804. filed December 31, 1923, except that the parts are formed in two pieces instead of one piece, as in said application. Cam 82 is at the knittingside of the dial and ram 81 at the casting-off side. i

A. pair of movable cams 83 and 8 1 are integral with rock shafts 85 and 86 respectively journalled inthe dial cam plate or may be formed separately and fixed to such rock shafts. In the machines of larger diameter, the parts marked 83 and 84 maybe used alone, whereas machines of smaller diameter it is preferable to use also the parts marked 87 and 88, in which case these. cams are identical in principle with those shown in my application above referred to, but reversed in form as are the other cams on plate 51 by reason of the fact that the relative travel of the needles in the revolving cylinder machine is in the reverse direction to the relative travclin a revolving cam tion of Fig. 14 outward to tucking or knitting position, I provide means comprising the rock shafts 85 and 86, rock arms 89 and 90 on the respective rock shafts, and plates 91 and 92, (Figs. 7, 8 and 10). A link 93 connects a projecting arm 011 the plate 91 (for the casting-off cam) to a lever 94 (Figs. 8 and 15), actuated by a lever having two spaced arms 95, 95 fixed to a sleeve 106 surrounding a shaft 105, the arm 95 being connected by a link 96 to a lever 97 bearing at its free end on cams 98, 98a, (Figs. 18'and 19) secured to the drum 77 and the sleeve 106 being journalled in a bracket 107 (Fig. 3). The

' plate 92 (for the knitting cam) is similarly controlled by alink 99 connecting it to a lever 100 which acts against the arm 101 ot a lever consisting o'fstwo arms 101, 101' last on shaft 105. The arm 101' is connected by a. link 102 to a lever 103 hearing at its free end on the cams 10 1, 104a and 104?) on the drum 77. The levers-94 and 100 are provided at their lower ends with rounded faces held against similar faces on the vertical arms ofbent levers 95 and 101 by means of springs 98' (Fig. 1). It may be noted also in Figs. 7 and 8 that the rock arms 89 and 90 are supported by a shoulder on the memher 52, plate 91 being supported on said arms 89, 90 and the plate 92 resting on the plate 91 and being guided at its upper side by engagement with the lower end of the adjacent arm of bracket 43. The upwardly extending sleeve of member 52 is clamped in'position by a screw (Fig. 8) engaging split parts of the bracket 43.

The yarn feeding and controlling mechanism The yarn fingers 31 and the means whereby they are put into and out of operation are, or may be, substantially as in the Bad ner machine. A yarn cutter is provided (Figs 1,7,8, 10 and 20), said cutter comprising a fixed blade 109 resting on the plate 51 and held by dowel pins in the member 52 against up and down movement. A movable at in the arm 115 (Fig. 80) to prevent it from slipping out of place. A. spring 118 is coiled about the pivot of the lever and has an extension bearing on the forwardly extending arm for moving the cutting blade toward closed position. The lever has a second forwardly extending arm 119 with a pin engaging loosely in a notch in a movable clamp 120 pivoted at 121. A spring 122 is coiled aboutthe pivot of the clamping member and presses it down for clamping the yarns between itand the dial cam plate 51. A supplementary clamp 123 act-s constantly to hold the ends of severed yarns. Brushes 123 (Figs. 14 and .20) extend downward over the edge of the dial to force the loose ends of yarn below the bottom edge of the dial to insure that the dial needles will come out over the loose ends instead of under them when changing yarns during rib knitting.

This action is illustrated in Fig. 22, where the yarn 123a is a loose end of an ingoing yarn. whereas the yarn 12% indicates the position of the end of an outgoing yarn, each of which ends has to pass through at least one brush before making a complete revolution about the axis of the cylinder, and so is forced below the level of the dial needles and adjacent the lower edge of the dial.

Latch openh'ng ale vices At the left hand side of the machine in Fig. 8 there is shown a brush 124 for opening the latches of. the dial needles, said brush being here shown as mounted on a stationary support. Another brush 125 is provided at the right hand side. the bristles of this brush being mounted in a bar 126, which bar is mounted on a flat rod 127 (Fig. 4), guided for sliding movement toward and from the axis of the machine. This latch opener also acts on the latches of'the dial needles and is retracted during reciprocating knitting on the cylinder needles, as it would otherwise interfere with and cause slack yarn. A lever 128 (Fig. 4) engages a pin on the rod 127 for moving it, this lever having engagement with a bent lever 129 (Fig. 3) connected by a link 130 to a lever 131 (Fig. 1) having engagement at. its forward end with a cam surface 132 (Fig. 2) on the main cam shaft.

Take-up The take -up for the fabric (Figs. 7, 7a, 8 and 12) is similar in its broader aspects to that disclosed in my application Serial No. 742,238, filed October 7, 1924-. It com- )rises a tube 133 passing through an opening in the base-plate 134 (Fig. 1). At its upper end the tube is reinforced by a heavy inner sleeve134' with an annular flange extending out over the tube with upward projections secured thereto providing bearings for a pair of shafts 135 and 136. Underneath the bed-plate 47 a ring gear 137 is secured in position to drive a planetary beveled pinion 138, journalled on a shaft in a bracket secured to the ring gear 139. A pulley 140 is fixed to the pinion 138 and drives a belt 141 passing over a pulley 142 on a shaft journalled in a bracket on the upper reinforced part 134 of the tube 133. Said shaft is provided with a worm 143 engaging the worm gear 144 on a shaft 145. The shaft 145 is connected by a universal joint 146 (Figs. 8 and 12) to a shaft having a pinion 147 driving pinions 148 and 149 on shafts 135 and 136, respectively. Belts 150 and 151 are trained about shaft 136, which has longitudinal slots for engagement with ribs 152 on the belts for driving them uniformly. Such ribs may consist of wires bent around the belt. In similar manner, belts 153 and 154 are trained about slotted portions of the shaft 135, which belts also have ribs for driving them uniformly in timed relation with the belts 150 and 151. At their upper ends, the belts extend up into the needle cylinder where the respective pairs of belts are trained about shafts 155 and 156, which shafts are also slotted. The belts are held taut and the shafts 155, 156 are maintained in properly spaced relation to the shafts 135 and 136 by means of rods 157 guided at their lower ends in hollow casings 158 containing springs 159 bearing against the lower ends of the rods to hold the belts taut. The take-up devices and the tube are supported from the ring gear 139 by oppositely positioned depending brackets 160 in which are secured rods 165. Said casings 158 are supported on the shafts 135 and 136, said casings extending upward between the runs of each of the belts 150 and 151, as shown in Fig. 8. Adjacent its upper end of the casings 158 supports a plate 162 which is held in place by a screw 163 in a transverse slot of the plate, permitting limited lateral adjustment of the plate. Pins 164 (Figs.v 8 and 8b) are adjustably mounted on the rods 165 depending from the lower ends of brackets 160, said pins extending between pairs of plates 162 to prevent twisting of the take-up or swin 'ng motion of said take-up and belts, w ich might bring them into engagement with the inner wall of the needle cylinder and interfere with their proper operation. Springs 166 connect the upper ends of each pair of plates 162, said springs being adusted to vary their tension by means of nuts 167 on bolts 168 each connected to the end of a spring 166 (Fig. 7). The springs serve to hold the rollers 155, 156, and the belts thereof, together with the proper tension for pulling the fabric down. A hook 169 is supported on one of the plates 162 said hook engaging a run of the belt 141 to retain it on the pulleys when slackened due to the rising action of the take-up (Fig. 8a).

An auxiliary take-up is provided for pulling down the fabric in the region of the heels and toes made by reciprocating knitting, this being important to prevent the fabric from piling up on the dial needles in changing from plain to rib. The auxiliary take-up comprises a grab170 (Fig. 7) at the end of a long rod 171, which is operatively connected by a finger 172 Figs. 7a and 9) to a ring 173 having rods 1 4 depending therefrom, which rods are guided in cylindrical guides 175 supported on an annulus 176, held on the base-plate 134 in any suitable manner. Springs 177 encircling the guides 175 cushion the descent of the ring 173, and spring 177 also serves the same purpose. A lever pivoted at 178 has forks 179 engaging the ring 173 at opposite ends of a diameter and an arm 180 engaging a cam 182 at the end of the main cam shaft 28 for raising the auxiliary take-up, which is pulled down by gravity and by a spring 181. A set screw 183 provides means for adjusting the upward movement of the auxiliary take-up.

-The grab is normally held away from the cessively under a shoulder at 186 on the rod supporting the grab. When the grab is lifted, the shoulder passes the uppermost point on the cam and as the grab starts down, the shoulder engages the point and rotates the cam so as to force the grab into engagement with the fabric and hold it in such engagement during thefurther rotation of the cam until the shoulder has moved so far down as to disengage the point'when the grab is again moved out by the spring 184, said grab still holding the fabric.

A lever 187 (Fig. 1) has forks 188 engaging under a flange 189 which may be formed on a sleeve fixed to the tube 133. The outer end of the lever provides a track for a truck 190 from which a weight 191 depends (Figs. 1 and 3), the lever being pivoted in a bracket on the base-plate 134. The truck is 'connected by a link 192 to a rock arm 193and moved in one direction by a cam 194 on the rib pattern drum and in the opposite direction by a spring 194 to move the truck and so change the counter-balancing action of the weight on the tube 133. In this way it becomes possible to cause the weight to lift the tube and the take-up slightly in making plain fabric; thereby reducing the tension. When a transfer is to be made from plain to rib, the Weight is shifted slightl to cause any slight slack that may have ormed' to be taken up; when rib knittingis started the weight is moved to its innermost position to bring the maximum tension to bear on the fabridbeing formed.

The take-up belts are for the purpose of driving rolls 155 and 156 to coact therewith for the purpose of pulling the fabric down.

Pattern mechanism.

As previously explained, the main pattern a and the pattern chain 195, may be the same as those of the Banner machine,.and are identical therewith in the embodimenthere illustrated except for the cams 29, 30 and 132, hereinbefore referred to. The additional pattern mechanism for controlling the rib knitting mechanism and appurtenances comprises a rib pattern drum 77 on a shaft 196 journalled in a bracket 216 depending from the base plate. At the left hand side of the bracket the drum has a cam 194 for controlling the position of weight 191. At the right hand side in Fig. 18 of the bracket the drum is provided with cams 98, 98a, 104, 1040, and 104b, previously discussed, and with a cam 197 for actuating the lever 78 which controls the en agement of the clutch for driving the dial. he drum is also provided with a series of idlers 198,

198a, 1981;, and 1980 (Fig. 19) for stopping the movement of the pattern drum by lifting a pawl 199 out of engagement with iatchet teeth 206, said pawl being pivoted on a rock arm 200 which is connected by link 201 and an eccentric strap 202 '(Figs. 3 and6) to an eccentric 203 fixed to the shaft 70, whereby the pawl 199 is constantly oscillated. An auxiliary rock arm 204 rigid with arm 200 is also moved by the eccentric and connections therefrom, this rock arm being intended to operate ranother pawl for actuating ratchet teeth, which may be positioned on the drum by means of a row of holes shown at 205 (Fig. 19). The pawl 199 engages with teeth 206 and the other teeth may be located midway between the teeth 206 so as to give the drum a step of rota tion intermediate between the steps imparted by the pawl 199. A pawl 20'? on a rock arm 207 is kept in engagement with the teeth by a spring 208 (Fig. 6), the rock arm being provided with an adjustable abutment in the form of a set screw 209, engaging with one arm of the bent lever 210, the other arm of which is adapted to be actuated by cams 211a, 2116, 2110 and 211d on the main cam shaft 28 for starting the rib pattern drum from idle position, in which it is maintained by one of the idlers 198 holding the pawl 199 out ofoperation.

Friction means is provided for preventing accidental movement of the drum or excessive movement thereof, such means includ ing an annulus 212 frictionally engaging .a face perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drum, as indicated in Fig. 17.

Springs 213 encircling bolts 214 bear at oneend against the annulus and at the other end against a spider 215, which is secured to the supporting bracket 216 for the drum, said springs serving to hold the frictional annulus in engagement with the pattern drum. The bolts 214 are secured to the annulus 2 12. Collars 217 on the bolts'prevent the springs from disengaging the bolts from the spider when the same'is removed from the drum, i. e. the spider, theannulus, etc. can be handled as a friction unit.

Operation Inthe operation ofmy device, the cylinder needles 218 will start knitting at the toe forming loopers rounds, and knitting the toe, foot and heel in any desired or conventional form. After the parts indicated have been made in plain fabric, the dial needles 50 will be brought into action to make rib lever 210 to actuate the pawl 207 so as tov move the rib pattern drum one step to carry the idler 198, which has been holding the pawl 199, away from said pawl and so permit the pawl to continue the rotation of the rib pattern drum. At the same time a cam 132 (Fig. 2) causes the brush 125, which has been held in an outward or inoperative position during the making of the plain part of the stocking, namely the toe, foot and heel, to move inward to a position adjacent the cylinder needles. The purpose of this brush is to prevent the latches of the dial needles from throwing off the old stitches or causing drop stitches due to the latches closing too early during the subsequent rib knitting operation.

Between the first and second idlers 198 and 198a on the rib pattern drum, the cam 197 is moved, permitting spring 76 to actuate the lever 7 5 and cause the clutch on the dial driving shaft to be engaged, thereby causing the dial to rotate. Immediately after this a cam 98 on the pattern'drum causes the dial needles on the casting off side to be projected to the extreme outward position through the train of connections 97, 96,95, 95,94,923, 91, s9, s5 and 83 where the needles will pass through the brush 124, thereby causing the dial needle latches to be opened. The second idler 198a is now in position and prevents the rib pattern drum from being rotated further at this time by its pawl 199. The main pattern drum, as well as the rib pattern drum, will remain in this position until that portion of the stocking known as the ankle has been knit. Upon completing this ankle portion, the main pattern drum is moved forward one step, which operates the second lug 211b, thereby causing the pattern drum to be moved off the second idler 198a. Between the second and third idlers 198a and 198b, cam 98 on the rib pattern drum allows the dial needles, which are in the extreme outward position on the casting off side, to move to their extreme inward position. The dial needles on the knitting side are then caused by cam 104 to move out to the tucking position, or yarn receiving position, where they remain for one course. The dial needles on the knitting side are then moved to the extreme inward position by lever 103 dropping ofi cam 104, where they remain for one or more courses. They are then moved to the extreme outward position, or rib knitting position by cam 104a. At this time the main pattern drum has another movement imparted thereto for changing the speed of the machine, bringing up lug 2110. The third idler 1986 on the rib pattern drum is now in engagement with the rib pattern drum driving pawl 199, thereby preventing the rib pattern drum from rotating further, The main pattern drum also will remain in its present position during the knitting of the leg portion of the stocking. The length of kick of the main pattern drum is controlled by some such means as that shown in the Banner patent above referred to.

Upon completing the leg portion of the stocking, the main pattern drum moves forward one step, causing the third lug 2110 to start the pattern wheel rotating. tween the third and fourth idlers 198?) and 1980 on the rib pattern drum there are cams 104 and 104a and beyond idler 1980 there is another cam 10%, which cams cause the dial needles on the knitting side to move from one position to another, namely halfway in, all the way in, or all the way out. By employing different combinations of "these movements, different kinds of welts are made. A tuck welt is made by moving the dial needles halfway in for one or more courses, and then moving them all the way out to their rib knitting position. A half round welt is made by moving the dial needles to the half-way or tucking position for one course, then allowing the dial needles to move to the extreme inward position for one course, then moving the needles to their extreme outward position. A round welt is made by exactly the same movement as a half round welt, with the exception that the needles remain in the. extreme inward position-for two courses. Upon completing the welts or ornamental portion of the stocking, the rib pattern drum continues rotating for the remainder of the pattern wheel which has not been used for making welts. For instance, there is a greater amount of space provided for welts than is apt to be needed. The fourth idler 1980 on the rib pattern drum now engages with the pattern drum driving pawl, causing the rib pattern drum to stop rotating, while a portion of ribbed fabric is knit, ordinarily about one inch long, this portion of fabric being for the purpose of hemming or finishingthe top of the stocking. When this margin is completed, the main pattern drum is moved forward one step, causing the fourth lug 211d to start the rib pattern drum rotating.

Between the fourth and first idlers 1980 and 198 on the rib pattern drum, there is a cam 1040 placed thereon for the purpose of allowing the dial needles on the knitting side to move to their extreme inwardposition and thereby stop taking yarn, and also a cam 98a to cause the dial needles on the casting off side to move to the extreme outward position, Where they will cast off all stitches from the dial needles. As soon as these stitchesare cast ofi, the dial needles on the casting ofi side are allowed to move to their extreme inward position. The cam 197 on the face of the rib pattern drum then causes the clutch on the dial driving shaft to disengage and thereby stop the rotating of the dial. The dial and its cooperating bill - teeth of the ratchet 206 so as to advance the drum at a slightly earlier time than would normally be the case. The purpose of this is to prevent the dial needles, in taking yarn at the beginning of the transfer, from taking on yarn through more than one complete rotation, which would increase the conspicuousness of the transfer courses. The limitation of the yarn taking to approximately 360 '(or one complete rotation) is due to the fact that tooth 220 causes the cam 104 to ride out from under lever 103 sooner than it would by the normal action of the pawl 199 on the ordinary ratchet teeth. The lever 103 is caused to fall off the cam 104 by the movement imparted tothe pattern drum by the first of the twin lugs 220. The distance from the cam 104 to the front end of lug 104a is such as to render it desirable to set the rear face of the second twin lug 220 a little back of the corresponding ratchet tooth so as to insure that the lever will ride up on lug 104a.

One advantage of in construction is indicated in dotted lines 1n Fig. 4,in that the dial can be readily put out of action and the cylinder needles can be permitted to knit plain stockings indefinitely as string work or as separate stockings. For this pur pose, screws 46 maybe loosened so that the bracket 43 may be lifted, carrying with it the dial and its cams, the sleeve 43 at this time rising with the bracket and carrying with it the spline 45'. WVhen fully raised, the bracket is turned through an'angle of 90 to bring the spline 45 to the second notch in the sleeve (Fig. 1), after which the parts can be lowered and will be held in the dotted line position of Fig. 4.. The shaft 37 is held against rotation by its connection with the shaft 38, the horizontal shaft 36 and the dial post 33 turning through a small arc. Preliminary tosuch movement, the head 117 of the rod 116 (Figs. 8 and 10) is lifted out of the notch at 115 in the arm 115. At such time also, the screws 46 (Figs. 3 and 7) are loosened, these screws at other times clamping the bracket to the sleeve 45.

The .collar 48 on which the bracket 43 rests at its rear end, furnishes a ready means I a O o I turning always to ,PI'GCISB adjusted position Hilon the collar when the dial is brought back to position over the cylinder after having ously explained. Inknitting machines as heretofore known, this vertical adjustment of the dial has either been by complicated means or by means not readily accessible to the fixer. I

As a means for causing the main pattern drum to move one step for each rotation of the needle cylinder for the purpose of securing the proper stitch regulation at the correct point in the revolution during the several courses in which the transfer is made, the ordinary movement in the Banner machine being one kick of the drum to four rotations of the cylinder, which would make it impossible to start tightening the stitches at the proper point in the course. I have provided a segment 225 on the speed-changing cam 226 (Figs. 2 and 21) actuated by a pawl 227 operated by a strap 230 surrounding. an eccentric 229, the pawl being slidably supported by a stirrup 231 on the machine frame. The two eccentrics 202 and 229 are independently adjustable about shaft to secure proper timing of the main pattern drum and rib pattern drmn.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as set fort h in the appended claims. An auxiliary stitch-cam is shown at 232 in Fig. 5, this cam being mounted for adjustment in a vertical sense and being solocated that the needle butts pass underneath been moved out of such position, as previrib knitting against the pull of the dial needles as they are being retracted to knock over the loops on said needles. If this cam is omitted the stitches on 'the cylinder needles (and of course the cylinder needle wales) are knitted very unevenly as some cylinder needles are ti ht in their slots while others are loose and so are easily lifted by the pull of the dial needles transmitted through the fabric. The cam is triangular so as to pull only one or two cylinder needles at a time down against the tension of the dial needles. A wider cam is found to be liable to cause the yarn to be cut by the needles.

Having thus fully described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A knitting machine comprising dial and cylinder needles, a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams, and pattern mechanism for controlling said cams to knit either ribbed or plain work as desired, including means for stopping the rotation of the dial during plain knitting on the cylinder needles, substantially as set forth.

2. A knitting machine comprising dial and cylinder needles, a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams, and pattern mechanism for controlling said cams to knit either ribbed, plain circular or reciprocating work as desired, including means for stopping the rotation of the dial during plain knitting on the cylinder-needles, substantially as set forth.

3. A knitting machine comprising dial and cylinder needles, a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams, pattern mechanism for controlling said cams to knit either ribbed or plain work as desired, a train of gearing for driving thedial, a clutch in said train and pattern controlled means for unclutching the same during plain knitting on the cylinder needles, substantially as set forth.

4. A knitting machine comprising dial. and cylinder needles, a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams and pattern mechanism for controlling said cams to knit either ribbed, plain circular or reciprocating work as desired, a shaft extending through the bed-plate of the machine, gearing connecting said shaft to the dial for driving the same, a crown gear at the lower end of said shaft, a shaft inclined to the first, a crown gear on the inclined shaft in driving engagement with the first-named crown gear, and means for holding the crown gears in proper driving relation including a ball carried by one of said shafts engaging in a socket carried by the other, substantially as set forth.

5. A knitting machine comprising a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial pivoted latch needles mounted in slots in the dial and in the cylinder, needle actuatin cams, pattern mechanism for controlling said cams to knit either ribbed, plain circular or reciprocating work as desired, a shaft extending through the bed-plate of the machine at the rear side, a dial post, gearing connecting said shaft to the dial post, a bracket having bearings for said post and said shaft in front and rear arms of the bracket, a part fixed to the bed-plate in concentric relation to the shaft and the rear arm of said bracket and a spline on one of the concentric parts adapted to engage in either one of two angularly related grooves in the other for holding the dial in either one of two angnlarly related positions, substantially as set forth.

6. A knitting machine comprising dial and cylinder needles, a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams, pattern mechanism on the fixed frame of the machine for controlling said cams to knit either ribbed, plain circular or reciproeating work as desired, a dial post, a shaft extending through the bed-plate of the machine in parallel relation to the dial post for driving the dial, a bracket swingable about the axis of said shaft for removing the dial from the needle cylinder, a train of connections from the pattern mechanism for positioning a dial cam, including a lever on said bracket, and a lever on the machine frame normally contacting with a part of the first-named lever such contact being broken on such removal of the dial, substantially as set forth.

7. A device as in claim 6, with means in connection with one of said shafts for adjusting the dial needles angular-1y relatively to the cylinder needles, substantially as set forth.

8. A knitting machine comprising dial and cylinder needles, a. rotaryneedlecylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams, pattern mechanism for controlling the cams to knit either ribbed, plain circular or reciprocating Work as desired, a dial post, a shaft for driving the dial post, a bracket having bearings for said shaft and dial post and means in connection with the bearing for the driving shaft for adjusting the dial vertically relatively to the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

9. A knitting machine comprising dial and cylinder needles, a rotary needle cylinder, a rotary dial, needle actuating cams, pattern mechanism for controlling the cams to knit either ribbed, plain circular or reciprocating work as desired, a dial post, a shaft for driving the dial post, a bracket having parallel bearings for said shaft and said post, and means engaging the lower end of the bracket adjacent said shaft for adjusting the dial vertically relatively to the needle cylinder, substantially as set forth.

10. A knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a dial, a dial post, a bracket supporting the post said bracket having an arm parallel to said post and spaced from the axis of the cylinder, and adjusting means acting on said arm for positioning the dial vertically relatively to the cylinder. substantially as set forth. I

11. A knitting machine comprising a necdle cylinder, a dial, a dial post, a bracket supporting the post said bracket having a hollow arm surrounding a fixed part of the machine, and a collar on said part abutting against the lower end of the arm wherelrv adjustment of the collar will position the dial vertically relatively to the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

12. A knitting machine comprising a needle dial, a cylinder, needle cams, a dial post, a shaft parallel thereto, a bracket having bearings for said shaft and post, and means for adjusting the bracket vertically 

